Angry patients queued in the cold to register today after their dentist told them they were quitting the NHS.

Pensioners and the disabled were among 100 people who had gathered by 7.30am today when the Guide Post Dental Practice, near Ashington, in Northumberland, opened its doors for registration.

The practice of four dentists, which moved to a new #750,000 centre in September, blames Government changes, to be introduced in April, and a shortage of funding for its move.

On Friday they sent letters to their 6,000 patients giving three months' notice of quitting the NHS.

The letter said after the change the practice would only be able to provide high quality care to a maximum of 2,500 patients, and registration for its new #168 a year membership plan would be on a first come, first served basis.

The practice is open all day today for registration and queues recently seen in Carlisle were repeated in Front Street, in Guide Post.

First in the queue, at 6am today, was former soldier and ex-policeman, Dave Scates, 75. He said: "It's a liberty. I worked all my life and paid all my dues. Now I've got to start paying again for what we've already paid for."

Second in the queue, Kathleen Hall, 63, of Stakeford, said: "I'm not happy about it at all. I'm a pensioner and I have paid my dues as well."

Mrs Hall said the membership plan only provided for examinations, and scale and polish sessions or any treatment, such as fillings, would cost more.

Angela Humphries, of Guide Post, said: "I am disgusted. My daughter's been with the practice for 15 years and she has a one-year-old baby boy. As she can't get here to register, she is not going to get any treatment."

Ray Cole, 56, of Guide Post said: "This is like the war years when you had to stand and queue for rations. It's disgusting, particularly when we are already paying National Insurance. I've been coming here for 15 years.

"It's a failing on the Government's part."

Disabled Pat Connor, 44, of Guide Post, said: "It has just been forced on us. You get the letter on Friday and you have no option."

Dentist Richard Fretwell, the Guide Post practice principal, said they had been hoping for some funding from the Primary Care Trust to support their recent move, but this had not materialised.

He said: "Dentists are being kicked from up there by the Government and the Primary Care Trust has been kicked by the Government. The people who are going to suffer are single parents and people on benefits and there will be people who cannot afford this.

"We have a lot of sympathy for them. There are some very nice people I have met in the three years I have been working here and we are aware some people won't be able to afford this."

The letter by the Guide Post practice was signed by Mr Fretwell, his wife Josie, Graham Farrell and Beverley Hirst, the four dentists there. It said: "We have decided to maintain and improve our quality of service. Reluctantly, we will no longer provide the majority of our treatment within NHS arrangements."